HELP - I can use positive vibes! (Read 1605 times)

holy gads! had to add the blinky eyes, it seems there was a rule for those in this thread! I'll be thinking positive vibes - are we taking bets on what time you show up here to tell us how well you did while your feet rest in ice buckets?

Hey Lynn: A hokey thought to share. But you're a hokey guy. Hope you see it before tomorrow. This morning I had a wonderful run. A lot of emotion, for a lot of reasons. Part of it was because life has just been crappy lately in just about every respect - and running has been a savior of sorts. I hit a milestone, too: 1,000 miles for the year. Which isn't much, compared to some, but it meant a lot to me - I guess because it signified some kind of consistency. The thing I lack most in my life. The thing I'm worst at. That steady, persistent effort that leads to real success. That thing you're good at. It meant a lot to me, for reasons I won't even try to explain. But I was really down when I left this morning. Just overwhelmed with all the things I'm behind on, all the things I have to get done. Yet as I ran my last short taper run before this weekend's monkey madness commences, and stressed over all the crap I'll be dealing with in the next few weeks, and contemplated that 1,000 mile mark ... some things occurred to me. The first was how truly blessed I am, when I think of the struggles some others face. A couple people right here come to mind. So does your 48-hours of nuttiness. Compared to those sorts of battles, mine aren't even important. Not even close. And then I thought about that 1,000 miles some more, and I realized something painfully obvious: if you can run 1,000 miles, you can do anything. Anything at all. Compared to what I've already accomplished with this dumb little hobby, the stuff I'm dealing with right now is nothing. Laughable. The sort of stuff a guy who just ran 1,000 miles should be laughing at. And I realized that the same thing applies to all of us. You may not be ready for the Olympics yet, but if you just quit smoking 3 packs a day and you can run around the block ... you can do just about anything. If a year ago you were 100 pounds heavier and sitting on the couch, and now you can run two miles straight ... you can do anything. If you couldn't run 100 yards in January but now you're running 5-ks and 10-k's ... you can do anything. Really. Just about anything. The truth is, every one of you here is more remarkable than you know. And that's not sappiness, it's just statistics. If you can run a 5-k, no matter how slow it may seem compared to some people here, you're already able to do what most of the world can't or won't. My lazy taper run this morning, so slow it was painful, would have left most people gasping. Most people half my age. If you're training for - or if you've already run - a half-marathon, you're already way beyond 95% of the world. I don't care how slow you are; compared to the average slob, you *are* an Olympian. If you can run a marathon, even if they're closing the course up as you run by, you've done what most people wouldn't even dare to dream about. It's worth remembering. And if you can do that stuff, you can do anything. Just about anything. Which brings me back to Lynn. If he can run for 48 straight hours ... well, to say that he can accomplish just about anything goes without saying doesn't it? But, selfishly, it means something else to me. If *HE* can do that ... then *I* can at least manage to deal with the minor problems I'm dealing with. If that nutball can run for two straight days, I can manage to put in a few late nights of work. If he can deal with that much pain, if he can persevere through all that ... ... than *I* can handle the little things. It's all about perspective, I guess. Thanks, Lynn, for giving me a little. While I was running today I had a brand new song on the iPod. Didn't even know it was there, and started running to it only because it has a pretty good beat for running, at least for a country song. But then I listened to the words, and it might have been God Himself talking to me. I put it on repeat for 5 straight miles. You're a religious fella, so you won't mind if it's a bit churchy; if anyone else is bothered, treat it like a metaphor. Either way, Lynn ... you might like it. You might even find strength in the message. And wow are you gonna need it. (Apologies to all for the sappiness. I'll return to being a sarcastic wise-ass tomorrow. Promise.)

Artist/Band: Rodney Atkins Lyrics for Song: If You're Going Through Hell Well you know those times When you feel like there's a sign there on your back Say's I don't mind if ya kick me Seems like everybody has Things go from bad to worse You'd think they can't get worse than that And then they do You step off the straight and narrow And you don't know where you are Use the needle of your compass To sew up your broken heart Ask directions from a genie In a bottle of Jim Beam And she lies to You That's when you learn the truth If you're going through hell Keep on going, Don't slow down If you're scared, don't show it You might get out Before the devil even knows you're there Well I been deep down in that darkness I been down to my last match Felt a hundered different demons Breathing fire down my back And I knew that if I stumbled I'd fall right into the trap that they were laying, Yeah But the good news Is there's angels everywhere out on the street Holding out a hand to pull you back up on your feet The one's that you been dragging for so long You're on your knees You might as well be praying Guess what I'm saying If you're going through hell Keep on going, Don't slow down If you're scared, don't show it You might get out Before the devil even knows you're there Yeah, If you're going through hell Keep on moving, Face that fire Walk right through it You might get out Before the devil even knows you're there If you're going through hell Keep on going, Don't slow down If you're scared, don't show it You might get out Before the devil even knows you're there Yeah, If you're going through hell Keep on moving, Face that fire Walk right through it You might get out Before the devil even knows you're there ...

You're going to be going through a little bit of Hell, compadre. Keep on going.

Wouldn't it be awesome to have 72 of us each run one hour...with you, or behind you if you don't want company, or infront of you if you want someone to overtake? Best luck to you

Good luck, Lynn B! You're going to do great. I'll send positive vibes when I'm out on the roads. One of the coping strategies I have for when I'm doing a hard run or a race and I'm trying to convince myself I can keep on pushing when things are getting very tough is I always try to work out in my head how long, in time, I have left. Then I say something like, "14 hard minutes. You can do anything for 14 minutes." 48 hours. You can do anything for 48 hours. ...that doesn't really work does it? Um...okay, how about... You. Are. Unstoppable.

why not just sing the song that never ends because you know it goes on and on my friend

OK gang, here's the song that will keep me going....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08BRy0MoIA8&mode=related&search= Not really. Red Spicer is the race director of the Palo Duro Trail Run held in West Texas and I heard him say (right before the start of my first 50 mile race) "you can do more than you think you can, you're better than you think you are". That has stuck with me through the years and I have come to realize just how true that is. Jake, I think you may have just gotten it! Welcome to the dark side and thanks for the song. I'll definitely use it this weekend. Michael, I have your name right where I will see it every 20-30 minutes and will be sending good vibes right to New York for you! Signing off for now, Lynn B

Go, Lynn!!! (though I'm not sure I can forgive you for the Llama song earworm so early in the AM) A little present for Lynn: bagers

Dude.